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Addressing barriers to blind pedestrians at signalized intersections
Abstract
The difficulties experienced by visually impaired pedestrians at signalized intersections are addressed by the Institute of Transportation (ITE). The members of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired were surveyed to document the nature and causes of the difficulties. The survey asked questions about several potential categories of difficulties which include knowing when to begin crossing, crossing straight across the street, and using pushbuttons. The results of the survey are being used to plan a toolbox on making intersections more accessible.
... Over the years, challenges faced by BVIP in relation to the space have been mapped, and different solutions have been tested and studied in relation to details or thematic situations. One theme is kerbs (Childs et al. 2009) and crossing a street (Bentzen, Barlow, and Franck 2000;Scott et al. 2011;Bentzen et al. 2017;Ginnerup and Bredmose 2013). Others include accessible pedestrian signals (Williams et al. 2005; Barlow, Bentzen, and Bond 2005;Scott et al. 2008), tactile walking surface indicators (Gallon 1992;Ginnerup and Bredmose 2013;Tekeda et al. 2006;Stahl et al. 2010), the luminance and contrast of these, (Mitani et al. 2007(Mitani et al. , 2009) and shared space (Parkin and Smithies 2012;Hammond and Musselwhite 2013;Havik et al. 2015;Brown and Norgate 2019). ...
... A survey of 1,123 O&M instructors and members of The Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the BVIP was completed by Bentzen, Barlow, and Franck (2000). However, it was based on yes/no questions concerning four categories of difficulty for BVIPs at signalized intersections. ...
This paper is based on a questionnaire of all Danish Orientation & Mobility instructors, assessing the importance of 34 physical elements as clues in the pedestrian environment to support blind and visually impaired people (BVIP)’s orientation. The aim is to contribute to a body of knowledge about why the design of physical elements is so crucial for (BVIP)’s orientation, accounting for the perceptual sight function and using other senses to compensate for the impaired vision. The study shows that all elements were generally assessed as being very important. Furthermore, the paper discusses how to plan urban space in the future.
... In terms of aspects of the built environment that were covered in the studies reviewed, most of them focused on sidewalk-and crosswalkrelated micro-environmental features that were framed as landmarks for people with visual disabilities (Cohen & Dalyot, 2021;Due & Bierring Lange, 2018;Fryer et al., 2013;Magnus, 2016;McGrath et al., 2017;Sakaja, 2020;Suderman & Redmond, 2015;Williams et al., 2014;Zimmermann-Janschitz et al., 2017). Features that were mentioned often include curbs, curb ramps, and tactile warning/guiding surfaces (Alexander et al., 2014;Cohen & Dalyot, 2021;Hwang, 2022;Nuzzi et al., 2018;Suderman & Redmond, 2015;Zhao et al., 2018), and accessible pedestrian signals (Barlow et al., 2005;Bentzen et al., 2000;Brown & Norgate, 2019;Cohen & Dalyot, 2021;Hwang, 2022). Studies also focused on the role of neighbourhood amenities (e.g. ...
Understanding how the outdoor environment shapes the community mobility of people with visual disabilities is key to designing an accessible public realm and facilitating their rights to use outdoor spaces. A scoping review was conducted to explore 1) What aspects of the built environment affect the community mobility of persons with visual disabilities? and 2) How does the built environment affect the community mobility of persons with visual disabilities? Forty-three peer-reviewed publications from 2000 to 2022 were included after conducting database searches, screening of articles, and data charting. Studies focused on micro-environmental features related to sidewalks and crosswalks (e.g. landmarks, curbs, curb ramps, tactile warning/ guiding surfaces, and accessible pedestrian signals), and broad environmental factors (e.g. neighbourhood amenities and street layout) and their influence on orientation, wayfinding, and safety. The paper discusses the role of the built environment in 1) posing barriers to outdoor mobility (e.g. potholes, poorly designed curb cuts, obstacles at waist-height or eye-level, poor lighting, inadequate pedestrian signal, complicated street layout), and 2) offering cues (e.g. visual, tactile, auditory, olfactory, kinaesthetic) for spatial perception and navigation. Focusing on how the built environment shapes community mobility is necessary to enhance accessibility through urban planning and design and assistive technology.
... In terms of aspects of the built environment that were covered in the studies reviewed, most of them focused on sidewalk-and crosswalkrelated micro-environmental features that were framed as landmarks for people with visual disabilities (Cohen & Dalyot, 2021;Due & Bierring Lange, 2018;Fryer et al., 2013;Magnus, 2016;McGrath et al., 2017;Sakaja, 2020;Suderman & Redmond, 2015;Williams et al., 2014;Zimmermann-Janschitz et al., 2017). Features that were mentioned often include curbs, curb ramps, and tactile warning/guiding surfaces (Alexander et al., 2014;Cohen & Dalyot, 2021;Hwang, 2022;Nuzzi et al., 2018;Suderman & Redmond, 2015;Zhao et al., 2018), and accessible pedestrian signals (Barlow et al., 2005;Bentzen et al., 2000;Brown & Norgate, 2019;Cohen & Dalyot, 2021;Hwang, 2022). Studies also focused on the role of neighbourhood amenities (e.g. ...
Presentation on paper that discusses the preliminary findings from a scoping review conducted as part of the MAP project, a tri-provincial SSHRC partnership grant. The scoping review focused on understanding how the outdoor built environment influences the out-of-home mobility of 1) Blind and partially sighted people, and 2) Deaf and hard of hearing people.
... For partially sighted people who are not accompanied by a sighted helper, all foregoing characteristics take longer. In such cases, as for blind people, special arrangements, such as the incorporation of audible signals and tactile surfaces, and procedures such as those described by Bentzen et al. (24 ) must then be made for crossings. These are extensive and require attention considerably beyond the scope of this paper. ...
Issues affecting design policies for highways and streets are explored in terms of the functional capabilities of disabled and encumbered pedestrians. The analysis and design process for disabled and encumbered people is explored to complement the emphasis accorded driver and vehicle movements in current codes and design policies. Issues related to the integration of code requirements and documented design procedures with the physical capabilities of disabled people in relation to existing policies are examined. Considerations include the location of the visibility viewpoint, associated sight lines, the observation–reaction time immediately before crossing, the distance traveled across footways, and movement characteristics while traversing the carriageway and while completing the crossing. The data described include experimental movement observations obtained by video and documented values. The links with physical disability categories are briefly described. A numerical illustration of the total time required to cross is made. The major issues are summarized, and an outline of areas needing further investigation is presented.
... At complex, unfamiliar, signalized intersections without APSs, pedestrians who are blind often fail to begin crossing within the walk interval for the desired crosswalk (5). Even when APSs are present, pedestrians who are blind sometimes find audible signal information ambiguous in terms of which crosswalk is being signaled (6 ). It is critical that any APS system provide unambiguous information. ...
Push-button–integrated accessible pedestrian signals (APSs) provide audible information from the push-button housing on both the location of the push button and the onset of walk intervals. APS systems must provide clear, unambiguous information on which crosswalk has the walk interval. Push buttons in the United States, including push-button– integrated APSs, are inconsistently located, and APSs do not use consistent sounds to convey the “Walk” indication. The present research (NCHRP Project 3-62) investigated the effects of push-button placement and the type of audible “Walk” indication on visually or cognitively impaired participants’ ability to determine which of two streets had the “Walk” signal. Participants performed this task most quickly and most accurately when each push-button–integrated APS was mounted on its own pole, the poles were placed along the outer line (farthest from the center of the intersection) of the associated crosswalk, each pole was located within a few feet of the curb, and the audible “Walk” indication from each APS was a fast tick (percussive sound) at 10 repetitions per second. The results further indicate that where two push buttons are installed on a single pole, verbal “Walk” messages (e.g., “Seventh; walk sign is on to cross Seventh”) result in greater accuracy than two different sounds (fast tick and cuckoo) to signal the two crossings.
... Although there are many publications available regarding how to make intersections and roadways safer for blind pedestrians, the authors are not aware of any previous studies regarding how the injury patterns seen in blind pedestrians may differ from that of the rest of the population [26,27,28,29]. These data may complement the ongoing research in the area of crosswalk design for those with physical challenges by identifying injuries that demonstrate a higher prevalence in the blind population. ...
Over half of the 1.2 million annual traffic fatalities worldwide are pedestrians struck by motor vehicles [1]. Medical databases, such as the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), have been utilized to ascertain injury patterns in the general population of injured pedestrians [2-3]. However, the authors are not aware of any studies investigating how factors, such as physical impairments, intoxication, and pre-existing medical implants (e.g. hip replacement, artificial knee, etc.) affect the prevalence of pedestrian accidents or injury outcomes. Five to eight million inpatient hospitalization records are included in the NIS annually, and this large sample size allows for analyses that are not possible with smaller data sets on pedestrian injuries. The current study utilizes the NIS to evaluate how several factors such as blindness, deafness, intoxication, and pre-existing medical implants affect injury patterns when compared to the general population of hospitalized pedestrians. In the deaf population, the most common injury diagnoses involved the head, face, and neck, whereas in the blind and medical device populations, the most common injury diagnoses involved the lower extremities. Intoxicated individuals accounted for almost 20% of injured pedestrians, and the injury patterns of the intoxicated pedestrians were largely similar to the control population, although some statistically significant differences were found. Further breakdowns of the injury patterns in each of these populations are presented and discussed.
... Furthermore, there are several common problems with traditional APS systems, including the volume of announced messages, unfamiliarity with which street has the "Walk" signal on, and confusion between alerting tones and traffic noises (25). Respondents to a survey indicated that "direction taking at the starting position" and "keeping direction while walking in the crosswalk" were problems, even with an APS (26). ...
People with vision impairment rely heavily on walking and public transit for their transportation needs. A major challenge for this population is crossing intersections safely. As a result of the Americans with Disabilities Act, accessible pedestrian signal systems at signalized intersections have improved significantly since 2000. However, these systems still have shortcomings for both users and municipalities, and new approaches are needed to serve pedestrians with low vision adequately. As part of the ongoing effort to develop a prototype mobile accessible pedestrian signals (MAPS) application for the blind and visually impaired, 10 blind and low-vision people were interviewed to understand better what types of information they use at intersection crossings and to identify the types of information that could assist them. With these survey results, a MAPS system was developed to provide signal and intersection geometry information to smartphone users at signalized intersections. User interaction was with simple tactile input (single or double tap) and text-to-speech technology. A field experiment at two signalized intersections was conducted with 18 visually impaired participants to validate the use and functioning of the MAPS system in a real-world application. The purpose was to identify whether the smartphone application could effectively provide geometry and signal timing information and thus provide decision support for visually impaired pedestrians. Objective and subjective measures were developed to evaluate the performance of visually impaired users of MAPS. Participants reported that the MAPS system provided helpful geometry information (82%) and helpful signal information (59%).
... It will then vocally count down the remaining time (in seconds) to cross the intersection during the "DON'T WALK" phase. There are several common problems with the traditional APS including the volume of announced message, not knowing which street has the "WALK" signal on and confusion of alerting tones with traffic noises (6). Respondents to a survey (7) indicated that "direction taking at the starting position" and "keeping direction while walking in the crosswalk" were problems, even with an APS. ...
People with vision impairment generally have difficulty crossing intersections due to lack of traffic information. The most difficult intersection crossing tasks for this population are locating the crosswalk, determining when to cross, and maintaining alignment to the crosswalk while crossing. Through our ongoing effort to develop a prototype Mobile Accessible Pedestrian Signal (MAPS) application for the blind and visually impaired, we interviewed ten blind and low-vision people to better understand the type of information they use at intersection crossings and identified information types that could assist them. With these survey results, a prototype MAPS is developed that provides signal and intersection geometry information to Smartphone users at signalized intersections. User interaction is via simple tactile input (single/double-tap) and Text-To-Speech (TTS) interface are used for feedback. In the future, intersections equipped with Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) will advance the capabilities of MAPS to next level of mobility and safety applications for people with vision impairment. MAPS can take advantage of the low-latency capability of DSRC to coordinate cooperative communication among pedestrians (waiting at the crossing), traffic signal controllers, and approaching vehicles, thereby providing dynamic decision-making support to all travelers, not just the visually impaired.
... It will then vocally count down the remaining time (in seconds) to cross the intersection during the 'DON'T WALK' phase. There are several common problems with traditional APS including the volume of announced message, not knowing which street has the 'WALK' signal on and confusion of alerting tones with traffic noises (Bentzen et al. 2000). Respondents to a survey (NCHRP 117) indicated that "direction taking at the starting position" and "keeping direction while walking in the crosswalk" were a problem, even with an APS. ...
... Figure 39 shows Higher luminance contrast is associated with improved rates of visual detection at close range and from longer distances. Note that as contrast increases above 70 percent, the data for the 8 Note that the trend lines shown in Figure 39 do not provide very good fits to the data. There are several "outliers" for which these equations do not provide accurate predictions. ...
... It will then vocally count down the remaining time (in seconds) to cross the intersection during the 'DON'T WALK' phase. There are several common problems with traditional APS including the volume of announced message, not knowing which street has the 'WALK' signal on and confusion of alerting tones with traffic noises (Bentzen et al. 2000). Respondents to a survey (NCHRP 117) indicated that "direction taking at the starting position" and "keeping direction while walking in the crosswalk" were a problem, even with an APS. ...
People with visual impairment cannot easily obtain external information through vision and thus they face more challenges when traveling than sighted people. The travel environment for people with visual impairment includes pedestrian safety concerns, especially when crossing roads at intersections. Tactile paving can be used as a guidance cue for street-crossing purposes but its use is not yet widespread globally (except at some test sites in Japan). This study investigated the effectiveness of tactile paving on crosswalks based on a field trial conducted in China. A drone and three-axis accelerometer were used to collect participants' behavioral data. Several quantitative indices for street-crossing behavior, including trajectory, maximum distance of the directional deviation, crossing speed, crossing time, and gait regularity and symmetry, were investigated to measure the participants' street-crossing performance. Before-after comparative analysis of the quantitative index results was conducted to compare the participants' use of crosswalks with and without tactile paving. The results reveal that tactile paving helps people with visual impairment to maintain a straight crossing path, avoid directional deviation, reduce their crossing time, and improve their gait regularity and symmetry. Study participants reported positive impressions of the effectiveness of crosswalk tactile paving based on one-to-one interviews conducted after the crosswalk tests. The results also indicate that crosswalk tactile paving is more effective for people with blindness than for those with low vision. This study's findings could serve as a theoretical basis for the deployment of various barrier-free traffic facilities (especially street-crossing facilities) for people with visual impairment.
At a recent workshop on wayfinding at intersections, participants recommended steps toward standardizing intersection design to optimize directional cueing for pedestrians who do not use visual cues when crossing streets.
A panel of experts developed a survey on speech messages for accessible pedestrian signals (APSs). First, the panel developed sample walk and pushbutton information messages that were applicable to different intersection geometries and signalization patterns and were variable in message content, length and structure. Second, the messages that were judged by most members of the panel to be unambiguous and to clearly convey the minimum necessary information were developed into a survey instrument for obtaining data on preferences for message content and structure. The survey also contained items to evaluate message comprehension. The survey was mailed to 160 stakeholders who were not visually impaired. In addition, it was administrated in Braille, in large print, or orally to 170 pedestrians with visual impairments. Survey results served as bases in developing a recommended practice for the structure and content of walk messages and pushbutton information messages for push button-integrated APSs.
This article discusses the interactive nature of modern actuated intersections and the effect of that interface on pedestrians who are visually impaired. Information is provided about accessible pedestrian signals (APS), the role of blindness professionals in APS installation decisions, and techniques for crossing streets with APS.
A systematic investigation of the effects of variations in loudspeaker locations on identifying which crosswalk has the audible walk signal was performed. For this study, participant groups comprised eight sighted, blindfolded adults and six totally blinded adults aged 27 to 42 and 27 to 65, respectively. A mock 90-degree four-leg intersection with 16-meter-long crosswalks was laid out in a parking lot. Commercial APS pedhead-mounted devices were positioned 2.44 meters high on tripods to simulate pedestrian signal heads. Each corner provided a different arrangement of devices to investigate the effect of typical placements on pedestrian's ability to tell which crosswalk had the walk signal. Three different signal modes were used: simultaneous, with the signals from both ends of a crosswalk sounding concurrently; alternating, with signals presented alternative from each end; and far side only, with the signal presented only from the far end of the crosswalk(s) relative to the pedestrian. Each participant was tested on a single block of six trials. Results indicate that both the positioning of loudspeakers and the mode of signal presentation influence the accuracy of judgments about which crosswalk has the walk signal.
It is well recognized that pedestrians whose attentions are distracted by other cognitive, emotional and physical tasks may not consistently engage in self-protective behaviors at intersections. This article assesses crosswalk technology and how it relates to the needs of various pedestrian populations.
This research extends the results of laboratory research on wayfinding at intersections for pedestrians who are blind. Standard accessible pedestrian signals (standard APS), a prototype beaconing APS, and a raised guide strip were evaluated for their ability to assist in establishing and maintaining a heading for street crossings. Experiments were conducted at large, complex signalized intersections in Alpharetta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; and Towson, Maryland. Both the guide strip and the beaconing APS resulted in more accurate street crossing performance than standard APS with respect to alignment (i.e., initial heading) accuracy, rates of being within the crosswalk, distance from the center of the crosswalk at various points during crossing, and the likelihood of being well outside the crosswalk [6 ft (2 m) or more]. For the most part, performance with the guide strip or the beaconing APS was equivalent. Limitations and additional concerns with respect to these two treatments are discussed.
The paper presents a psychoacoustical evaluation of selected acoustic signals, which according to Polish and international recommendations can be applied at pedestrian crosswalks. The aim of the study was the optimal adjustment of parameters of the signals emitted at pedestrian crosswalks, and to meet the expectations of persons with vision impairments as well as nearby residents or workers working near the crossing. The psychoacoustical evaluation of acoustic signals consists of determination of the hearing threshold of signals in the quiet, detection of signals presented against a background of various types of traffic noises (estimated signal-to-noise ratio) and annoyance assessment of signals. Three types of intermittent sounds were analysed: signals with rectangular time pattern filled up with rectangular wave, signals with rectangular time pattern filled up with sinusoidal wave and signals with triangular time pattern filled up with sinusoidal wave. Four fundamental frequencies (550 Hz, 880 Hz, 1580 Hz and 2000 Hz) and two repetition rates (5 Hz and 9 Hz) were tested. The results of the study have shown that the most suitable signals which can be applied at pedestrian crosswalks are the intermittent sounds with rectangular time pattern filled up with rectangular wave of fundamental frequencies 880 Hz and 1580 Hz and repetition rate 5 Hz and the intermittent sounds with rectangular time pattern and trian-gular time pattern both filled up with sinusoidal wave of fundamental frequencies 1580 Hz and repetition rate 5 Hz.
This paper considers the impact on local residents of audible pedestrian signals (APS) that provide cues to the visually handicapped pedestrians on the onset of the various signal phases at a signalized crosswalk. We investigate the extent of the noise intrusion problem of APS through understanding the acceptability by the general public. From the perception surveys conducted, vehicle engine/braking sound, neighbor talking/playing and vehicle alarm are the top three irritating noises experienced while sleeping whereas audible signals is ranked at 21st position. The maximum sound level of the signals found to be acceptable indoors is close to 60 dBA.
Visually impaired pedestrians experience unique challenges when navigating an urban environment because many cues about orientation and traffic patterns are difficult to ascertain without the use of vision. Technological aids such as customized GPS navigation tools offer the chance to augment visually impaired pedestrians' sensory information with a richer depiction of an environment, but care must be taken to balance the need for more information with other demands on the senses. In this paper, we focus on the information needs of visually impaired pedestrians at intersections, which present a specific cause of stress when navigating in unfamiliar locations. We present a navigation application prototype called CrossingGuard that provides rich information to a user such as details about intersection geometry that are not available to visually impaired pedestrians today. A user study comparing content-rich information to a baseline condition shows that content-rich information raises the level of comfort that visually impaired pedestrians feel at unfamiliar intersections. In addition, we discuss the categories of information that are most useful. Finally, we introduce a micro-task approach to gather intersection data via Street View annotations that achieves 85.5% accuracy over the 9 categories of information used by CrossingGuard.
Issues affecting design policies for highways and streets are explored in terms of the functional capabilities of disabled and encumbered pedestrians. The analysis and design process for disabled and encumbered people is explored to complement the emphasis accorded driver and vehicle movements in current codes and design policies. Issues related to the integration of code requirements and documented design procedures with the physical capabilities of disabled people in relation to existing policies are examined. Considerations include the location of the visibility viewpoint, associated sight lines, the observation-reaction time immediately before crossing, the distance traveled across footways, and movement characteristics while traversing the carriageway and while completing the crossing. The data described include experimental movement observations obtained by video and documented values. The links with physical disability categories are briefly described. A numerical illustration of the total time required to cross is made. The major issues are summarized, and an outline of areas needing further investigation is presented.
Push-button-integrated accessible pedestrian signals (APSs) provide audible information from the push-button housing on both the location of the push button and the onset of walk intervals. APS systems must provide clear, unambiguous information on which crosswalk has the walk interval. Push buttons in the United States, including push-button-integrated APSs, are inconsistently located, and APSs do not use consistent sounds to convey the "Walk" indication. The present research (NCHRP Project 3-62) investigated the effects of push-button placement and the type of audible "Walk" indication on visually or cognitively impaired participants' ability to determine which of two streets had the "Walk" signal. Participants performed this task most quickly and most accurately when each push-button-integrated APS was mounted on its own pole, the poles were placed along the outer line (farthest from the center of the intersection) of the associated crosswalk, each pole was located within a few feet of the curb, and the audible "Walk" indication from each APS was a fast tick (percussive sound) at 10 repetitions per second. The results further indicate that where two push buttons are installed on a single pole, verbal "Walk" messages (e.g., "Seventh; walk sign is on to cross Seventh") result in greater accuracy than two different sounds (fast tick and cuckoo) to signal the two crossings.
While many accessible pedestrian signals (APS) are installed to specify the time period when the visual WALK sign is activated, this series of studies explored the possibility of using APS to provide directional beaconing for pedestrians crossing a street. It was found that providing an APS auditory signal only from the far end of a 16 m crossing reduced the amount of veering more than providing the signal from both ends of the crossing. Alternating the signal between the two ends of the crossing for the 7 s of the WALK phase provided good beaconing information as long as only one of two parallel crosswalks at an intersection were signaled at a time. The most effective beaconing situation was to include a pushbutton locator tone at the far end that would activate when the WALK phase signal was complete.
Pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired often travel in areas that are unfamiliar to them and cross at signalized intersections. Results are reported of testing street crossing by blind pedestrians at complex, unfamiliar signalized intersections without accessible pedestrian signals. There will be further reports on these results. The focus is on descriptive analysis of broad measures of safety, orientation, and need for assistance in crossing. Objective data on 12 measures of street-crossing performance were obtained at four intersections (two in each of two cities). In each city, 16 blind participants crossed at unfamiliar, complex signalized intersections without accessible pedestrian signals. Results confirm that blind pedestrians have considerable difficulty locating crosswalks, aligning to cross, determining the onset of the walk interval, maintaining a straight crossing path, and completing crossings before the onset of traffic perpendicular to their path of travel. Accessible pedestrian signals will be installed at the four intersections, and postinstallation data will be used to determine recommendations for accessible pedestrian signal characteristics and installation.
This study documented that blind pedestrians have considerable difficulty locating crosswalks, aligning to cross, determining the onset of the walk interval, maintaining a straight crossing path, and completing crossings before the onset of perpendicular traffic at complex signalized intersections. Revised techniques and strategies are suggested for alleviating these difficulties.
Typical audible pedestrian signals indicate when the pedestrian walk interval is in effect but provide little, or even misleading information for directional alignment. In three experiments, blind and blindfolded sighted adults crossed a simulated crossing with recorded traffic noise to approximate street sounds. This was done to investigate how characteristics of signal presentation affected usefulness of the auditory signal for guiding crossing behaviour. Crossing was more accurate when signals came only from the far end of the crossing rather than the typical practice of presenting signals simultaneously from both ends. Alternating the signal between ends of the crossing was not helpful. Also, the customary practice of signalling two parallel crossings at the same time drew participants somewhat toward the opposite crossing. Providing a locator tone at the end of the crossing during the pedestrian clearance interval improved crossing accuracy. These findings provide a basis for designing audible pedestrian signals to enhance directional guidance. The principal findings were the same for blind and sighted participants and applied across a range of specific signals (e.g. chirps, clicks, voices).
Tests of blind pedestrians' need for detectable warning surfaces at curb ramps found that curb ramps were involved in half the cases in which there were barriers to successful crossings. In the absence of cues, some experienced travelers entered intersections at perpendicular curb ramps or were misdirected by diagonal curb ramps into parallel streets. Detectable warning surfaces provide a cue that alleviates the first problem but can exacerbate the second. Equally effective surfaces may be found that provide sufficient cues but are less expensive and easier to maintain.
People who are print-disabled, who are blind, or who have other visual impairments are restricted in their ability to participate in public life because of lack of labels and signs in the environment. Currently, persons with severe visual impairments often require extensive assistance from strangers to travel in unfamiliar areas. Many other types of disabilities can prevent people from reading print. In addition to people who are blind or who have low vision, there are many head-injured, autistic, and dyslexic (or even just educationally impaired) people, along with persons who have had a stroke, who are not able to assimilate printed language even though they can see the page. Many people can accept the information through speech--that is, having print read aloud to them. Some human factors evaluations of a signage system specifically developed to aid people who have visual impairments or a print-reading disability gain information that is available to sighted people through print are described in this paper. This remote, infrared audible signage system--Talking Signs--is composed of a small infrared transmitter that emits a repeating voice message over a directional light beam to a handheld receiver carried by the blind pedestrian. The infrared system greatly reduces the need for travelers to remember distances, directions, and turns, thereby enhancing independence and efficiency in travel. Results show that remote infrared audible signage provides effective wayfinding information for using transit stations, surface transit, and intersections, thereby enhancing independent use of public transit by people who have visual impairments or cognitive disabilities.